Getting a Social Security (SS) Number is one of the most important requirements in applying for a job especially for those who will be employed in private corporations. When you transfer to a new workplace, employers also ask for your SS number as one of the conditions for employment for SSS membership and coverage.
The SS number is a 10-digit series of numbers that serves as a reference to access your records with SSS. No two or more persons share the same SS number which is truly unique for everyone. This is also a lifetime number and must always be used in all transactions especially in applying for benefit claims such as Sickness, Maternity, Disability, Unemployment, Retirement, Funeral, and Death, as well as loan privileges.
Back in the early 1980s to year 2000, the earlier process in applying for SS Number required applicants to go to the SSS branch personally to present and submit their birth certificates or in its absence, their baptismal certificates to establish their identities and personal information. But with system and program enhancements through the years when SSS has implemented online transactions, SS Number applications can now also be done online effective September 2015. Effective December 2020, Online Application for SS Number with option for uploading of supporting documents was implemented.
To apply for an SS Number online, here are the step-by-step procedures for reference:
1. Go to the SSS’ official web site www.sss.gov.ph.
2. Click on the “Apply for an SS Number Online.” This will lead you to the next screen that says “No SS Number Yet? Apply Online!” and click “here.”
3. Read the Step-by-Step Guide, then click “Start”.
4. Encode the needed information in the Registrant Record Verification.
5. After encoding, click “Submit” to finish Phase 1 of the Registration. You will then be instructed to check your e-mail containing the link of Phase 2 of the Registration. Click or paste the link on your browser’s address bar to proceed with your SS Number Application. You may also check your Spam or Junk folder if the e-mail notification is not in your inbox. You only have five working days to complete your application before it expires. Once the link expires, you need to submit a new application online.
6. Upon opening the link, encode the needed details in the fields provided.
7. Review the details provided, then click “Submit.”
A message will pop up on the screen asking you to confirm if the provided information is true and correct. Remember, once submitted, you can no longer go back and update the encoded information.
8. Select the type of document to be submitted.
You may choose the Option A, if you will be uploading the copy of your Birth Certificate. Or you may choose Option B, if in the absence of Birth Certificate, you will be uploading any of the following documents:
- Baptismal Certificate;
- Driver’s License;
- Passport;
- Professional Regulation Commission card; or
- Seaman’s Book (Seaman’s Identification and Record Book).
For option C, “Click to View All” link to display the secondary documents.
After successfully uploading the documents, you may print or download the Registration Information which includes data such as the Transaction Number, SS Number, Name of Applicant, and Date of Birth.
You will receive an e-mail containing the confirmation of the SS Number Online Application as well as an e-mail containing the password set-up of the My.SSS account then enter the last six digits of your CRN/SS Number. Just enter your preferred password, then click “Submit.” This will enable the member to access his/her My.SSS account.
For those who have successfully uploaded the supporting documents, they will receive an e-mail informing them that their documents have been processed and approved as well as the status of their SS Number, either tagged as “SSS Web/Mobile App—With Submitted Document(s)” or a rejection e-mail stating the reason why the submitted documents uploaded have been rejected.
Those who did not upload or submit documents online will get tagged as “Application through the Web—No Documentary Requirements Submitted” until the required documents are submitted through the My.SSS account or to any SSS Branch.
Application of SSS loans and benefits (subject to qualifying conditions) shall be allowed only for SS Numbers tagged as “Application thru SSS Web/Mobile App—With Approved Supporting Documents” status.
For members submitting online requests for data amendment considered as simple corrections, they may submit or upload complete supporting documents such as:
1. Original or certified true copy issued by the City or Municipal Registrar or Philippine Statistics Authority/National Statistics Office:
- Birth Certificate
- Marriage Contract/Marriage Certificate
2. All ID cards and/or documents issued by foreign government must have English translation.
3. Make sure to completely upload all pages of the document.
4. Ensure to upload the pages where your name, photo, and signature are shown in the passport.
5. Make sure that the document being uploaded is clear and readable, colored, and must be in PDF and JPEG format with 2 Megabytes maximum file size.
Issuance of SS Number does not automatically qualify one for coverage or eligibility for benefits. One must be duly reported first for SSS coverage. Once you become an SSS member, you become a member for life. The contributions that you remit become savings for the future that will serve as basis for the granting of social security benefits and loans in times of contingencies. Even during such time that the member fails to remit contributions, the SSS benefits and loan privileges can still be availed of, as long as the member meets the qualifying conditions for entitlement thereto. If, for some reason, you forgot your SS Number, do not secure another one as having multiple SS Numbers will only cause delays in the processing of benefit claims and loan applications. If a member has more than one SS Number, the member should visit any SSS branch for the cancellation of the other SS Number and request for the consolidation of all contributions under the retained number. The retained SS Number should be used in all transactions with SSS.
Have a prosperous New Year!
Aurora C. Ignacio is SSS president and chief executive officer.
We welcome your questions and insights on the topics that we discuss. E-mail mediaaffairs@sss.gov.ph for topics that you might want us to discuss.